A Blitz On The Ritz

I used [Travel Company] to book a flight and hotel. When I arrived at the hotel, I was told I needed my credit card to pay a deposit; cash would not be accepted. As my luck had it, my credit card declined the charge. Unbeknownst to me, my bank in Germany had blocked the card from being used overseas after someone made a copy of it a year earlier and went on a $4,000 shopping spree.

As I was haggling on the phone with my bank and then [Travel Company], a man who was clearly homeless as indicated by the state of his clothing and hygiene sauntered into the hotel with three backpacks. He plopped them in the middle of the floor and approached the desk.

Homeless Man: “Hey, I reserved a room for three weeks; here’s my ID. Everything is paid for.”

Clerk: “Hmmm… I’m not seeing anything under that name.”

Homeless Man: “Probably a system glitch. A power outage deleted it or something. Just give me the room. I already paid online.”

Clerk: “There is nothing under this name. I’m looking. There isn’t even a reservation for three weeks!”

This was a hotel plaza where the cheapest room was $180 a night.

Homeless Man: “GIVE ME MY ROOM! I’M NOT PLAYING WITH YOU!”

Clerk: “There is no reservation for this name! Please leave the property before we call the police.”

Homeless Man: “WELL, THEN, GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK!”

Clerk: “You can call your credit card company and reverse the charge if you did book something; we clearly won’t dispute it. You need to leave the premises.”

Homeless Man: “GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK! I’M ABOUT TO PULL YOUR A** OVER THIS COUNTER IF KEEP F****** WITH ME!”

Security was summoned and they promptly booted the guy out. He returned about two minutes later, standing outside at an adjacent window, holding up his identification card and occasionally saying, “Look under [Homeless Man]! It’s not my fault your system f***ed up!”

Meanwhile, [Travel Company] found me another hotel that would be willing to accept cash as a deposit — my bank refused to lift the international block from my credit card — and shifted my credit over to that booking. I took a rideshare to the new hotel.

After a nice long steaming bath and a delivered dinner, I went down to the front desk to ask a question. Imagine my shock at seeing three familiar backpacks dumped in the middle of the floor and the same guy at the counter.

Homeless Man: “GIVE ME MY ROOM!”

Clerk: “You didn’t book a room with us. You pull this crap every other week, and no one is buying it! Get off our property!”

Homeless Man: “WELL, THEN, GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK! I’M NOT PLAYING WITH YOU! I’M ABOUT THE BEAT THE S*** OUT OF YOU!”

This continued for a moment until security — again! — put him out. And again, he stood in the window outside holding up his ID card.

I understand falling on hard times and needing shelter. But it’s hard to garner sympathy if you are pulling pathetically transparent scams and then threatening employees who won’t play along.